Christmas Spirit
by livyroro
Summary: A short Christmas AU. Tris is in college and loves Christmas more than anything, while Four just graduated and is working at a small tree farm to earn money. He's against everything Christmas, because of his past. Can Tris change his mind?
1. Chapter 1

So this is going to be about five or six chapters, just a short little holiday thing I felt like writing. I'll probably update every day until Christmas, since I have nothing to do, and I hope you enjoy! I won't leave any other author's notes on the story except for maybe the end, but please, if you like it leave a favorite or a review!

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><p><em>Chapter 1<em>

_December 10_

Tris got out of her car, locked it, and held her coat tight around herself. The cold air would be described as suffocating by some, but to Tris it was the best time of the year. She loved the way her breath fogged in the mornings and how the car could be warm and cozy with Christmas tunes on even though it was below freezing outside. Today was one of those days, and she adjusted her festive scarf around her neck before crunching across the gravel pathway.

Her roommate Christina had given Tris the task of buying the Christmas tree – a real one, Tris had insisted – and Tris was more than happy to pick up one on her way home from school. She had been driving past a family-owned tree farm every day, and she could finally stop in.

The sun was just starting to sink below the mountain line when Tris reached the rows of neat trees, but the aisles were well lit up by white lights lining each side. A few people were idly browsing the trees, and Tris moved forward and began to do the same. Thankfully there was still a good selection, because she was coming a little later than she would have liked.

A few short minutes into looking, she found the perfect tree. Not too tall and not too big – her apartment was not very spacious – but full and perfect at the same time. She put a tag on it and went up to get a salesperson. Tris went inside the quaint building, inhaling deeply and smiling at the scent of cider and pine.

A lone man stood behind the counter, fixing the lights strung around the cash register. Tris stepped up to him and cleared her throat politely. The man immediately looked up, and for a moment Tris was lost in his dark blue eyes. She managed to open her mouth and stutter, "I found a tree."

The man set down the lights and gave her a fake smile, "Okay, lead me to it." He stood up straight and walked around the counter, and he towered over Tris.

Tris lead him out of the heat and into the cold evening, walking quickly to her tree. The man examined it before nodding, and he began to position himself to pick it up and bring it to her car.

"Don't you need help with that?" Tris asked, perplexed. She could clearly see that he was fit, as the muscles in his arms bulged under his shirt as he worked, but the tree seemed a bit too much for only one person to handle.

He shook his head and adjusted his gloved hands around the trunk, "I've got it. Your car's ready, right?"

Tris nodded, thankful that she had remembered to set up the straps beforehand, "Yeah, I'm all set."

With that, he silently picked up the tree and began to walk into the parking lot. He hoisted it over his shoulder and hovered it a little bit, so not to damage the needles or branches.

Tris hurried behind him in astonishment, but kept her mouth shut so she wouldn't embarrass herself any further. As if blatantly checking him out twice wasn't bad enough.

"It's the red one," she pointed to her old beat up car as she walked behind him.

"Alright," the man grunted a bit as he lifted the tree onto her roof. He managed to set it down without a scratch, and he expertly tied it up and secured it. "You're all set. If you'll come inside with me, I'll ring you up," he said, all of it sounding strangely like a script to Tris.

She followed him inside again, and waited patiently as he calculated the price. Once it was tabulated she was pleased as it was a fair amount, and she paid him plus a little tip for his help. "Thank you again," she paused, craning to see if he had a name tag.

He interrupted her before she could ask, "It's Four."

"Your name?"

"Yeah. It's a nickname," the man - _Four_ – elaborated. The way he said it was final so Tris decided not to press him, besides he didn't seem like a very open and welcoming guy.

She was about to head out when she decided that she'd like something from the little bakery. "Actually, can I have a hot cider?"

Four put on a fake smile again, "Of course. A medium or small?"

"Medium," Tris took out four dollars and handed it to him.

He put the money in the register and began to pour her drink. As it heated up he rubbed his jaw, where there was a faint shadow of stubble as Tris had noticed earlier.

Thankfully she snapped out of it and took her gaze off of him as he turned to give her the drink. "Thank you again, Four."

"Just doing my job. Thank you for coming, I hope to see you again soon," he said stiffly. Tris waved and wrapped her hands around the warm cup, bringing it up to her mouth and taking a sip as she walked to her car. She reached up on her tippy toes and double checked that the tree was secure. Once she was assured that it wouldn't fall off on the drive, she got in her car and started back to her apartment.

Tris sang along softly to some of the holiday songs on the radio as she drank the warm cider at every stop light. It filled her belly with a gentle radiating heat, and it put a smile on her face and a glow in her cheeks.

She got to her apartment shortly, and texted Chris to let her know that she was here. There was no way she could get this tree in herself. They were lucky that they were on the first floor and not the second, because that would have been even harder. Tris had also checked with the owner of the building if they were allowed to have a real tree, and the nice woman told her it was okay.

Christina came bounding out of the door a few seconds later, wrapped head to toe in fleece clothing. Tris gulped the remainders of her cider and exited the car, getting on the other side to help Christina get it down.

"I hope you picked a good one," Chris said while untying the tree.

"You have so little faith! I would pick out the tree every year with my family; I know what to look for," Tris retaliated with a smile. "This one's perfect."

They untied the last rope and Chris reached up and started to bring the tree down. Tris tried to help but the hard truth was that she was too short, so she just put her hands on the trunk pretending to bear some of the weight.

The two girls managed to get it down without bumping it too much, and they each took hold of a section of trunk and walked it inside. Chris pried the door open with her foot and Tris peeled back the branches as they walked slowly inside. Christina lead them over to where she had set up the base in the living room, and filled it up with water already. Tris moved her hands down and Chris moved hers up as they repositioned the tree vertically. It lowered into the base well, and though it was a snug fit it stood upright perfectly.

The girls stood up and brushed off their hands, and Christina admired the tree. "I'm glad I trusted you, it is perfect. Oh! I got out the skirt," she bent down and pulled out a striped skirt that looked like a candy cane. "I bought this and some lights and ornaments, so we can decorate it properly!"

"Let me just take off my coat and then we'll get going," Tris walked over to the coat rack and hung hers up, taking off her boots as well. She set her purse on the floor and walked back into the small living room, which was filled up with the presence of the tree.

Chris plugged in the lights and it was a miracle that they all worked, but they did. Tris put on some holiday music and the girls decorated the tree together. Tris wanted to make it extra special, since it was her first real Christmas since moving out of her parents' home two years ago. The college dorms didn't allow trees – fake or real – so this year when she and Christina purchased this apartment, Tris was determined to make the most of Christmas.

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><p>Back at the Christmas shop, Four was sitting behind the counter as bored as ever. That blond had been the last customer to purchase a tree that night; everyone else came in to the shop to complain about lack of tree selection and how their lights don't work. Basically, a usual day at work.<p>

For some reason, as he idly played with a piece of mistletoe in his hands, Four couldn't get the girl's image out of his head. She was tiny, with shiny hair and pretty eyes, but she was definitely not his type. Her first offense: the sparkly red and green scarf she had tied around her neck. Four couldn't remember the last time he'd had a nice Christmas, and he concluded that it was most likely while he was eight or nine. Anytime before his mother had died.

He squeezed his eyes shut and blocked all thoughts of that time out of his head. That technique was one he had perfected as a child, and it was very useful even in adulthood.

Four's mind was blank for only a few seconds until the girl's image popped back up. He never asked her name, because he had no reason to, but now he was left wondering who she was. She looked to be a few years younger than him, probably in her later years of college. Four had graduated last year, and was currently out of an actual job. His job at the tree lot was a seasonal thing, and in other times of the year he worked at various computer and tech places, doing odd jobs as a salesperson or repairman.

His goal was to be a coder of some sort at the least, but hopefully eventually a software programmer. For now, he was okay with working in the tree shop because it was a steady income, for at least a month or two. The only good thing about Christmas season to Four was the extra job opportunities that opened up. He had been working on tree lots since he was fourteen back in his hometown, and he didn't completely hate it.

Nobody else came into the shop, and when nine o'clock rolled around Four dutifully closed the shop, locking the register and turning off all Christmas lights. His pickup truck was the only car still in the parking lot, and Four hopped in and started to drive home. He normally liked to listen to the radio, but around Christmastime all his favorite stations went to holiday stuff, and that was his least favorite kind of music.

So he drove home in silence, trying not to get annoyed at the number of nativity scenes he passed on the way.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

_December 12_

It was around noon and Four was just about to take his lunch break when the bell rang, signaling that someone had entered the shop. He turned his head to the door and saw _her_ standing there. The girl's cheeks were flushed and her nose was a bit red, and her bright hair was concealed under a white hat. In her gloved hands she was holding a box, shifting it uncomfortably between both arms.

"Hello again, how can I help you today?" Four said evenly, ignoring the giddy feelings he got when she entered the room.

"Hi, sorry but my friend Christina bought some lights from here a few days ago, and they aren't working. I mean, they worked fine at first but now a lot of them are out and I can't fix it," the girl explained, walking closer to the counter. She set the box on the counter and took off her gloves and put them in her coat pockets while looking right at Four.

"Okay, can I have your name first?" Four asked politely. It _was_ company policy to get the customer's names, but that normally happened at the time of payment. This girl had been plaguing his mind for two days, filling it up with questions and wonderings. One of the main ones was her name. Another was if she was single, but Four pushed that one aside and tried his best to ignore it.

"Yeah, I'm Tris," she said with a little smile. "And you're Four, right?"

Something in Four's heart tingled when she remembered his name, but he suppressed it because she just remembered his name since their last encounter was only two days ago. Not like she had been thinking about him like he had been thinking about her.

"That's right. Are these strands all having problems?" Four asked as he opened the box and took out the strings of multicolored lights.

"Yeah, there was only one that still worked and that's at home. I tried to replace some bulbs but nothing happened," Tris said with puckered brows. Four had a strange urge to reach his finger up there and smooth it out for her, to take away everything that bothers her.

He brought his mind back to the lights, "Okay. I'll just go get our light tester and see what I can do," he disappeared into the back room and emerged seconds later holding the little electricity gun device.

Four pulled the first strand out of the box and plugged it in to the extension cord at his feet. Only the first half of it lit up, and the rest were completely out. He removed a few bulbs and tried replacing them, and it still didn't work. Four told Tris to wait a second, and he went into the back again to pull out the more advanced stuff.

Tris fiddled with a few ornaments that were littering the counter. She was playing with a little Santa when Four came out, and she quickly put it down and busied her hands in her pockets. She needed some sort of distraction that wasn't his sharp jaw line or his deep eyes. Anything technical or electrical, for that matter, bored her to death. She had tried to convince Chris to come herself, since she hated it so much and she also didn't want to fuel her imagination more by seeing this man again, but Christina had lunch plans with her boyfriend Will.

She settled on watching Four's fingers as he worked, which worked until she let her eyes wander to his well-built forearms that shifted as he unscrewed light bulbs.

"I'm not trying to be rude, but how long is this going to take?" Tris asked, feeling restless.

"No worries, I understand. It shouldn't be long, twenty minutes at the most. I've figured out the problem; I just have to fix a few wires. I assume it's the same in the other strands so it shouldn't take long to figure out," Four explained, not lifting his eyes from the bulbs.

"Okay. I'll stay because it'll be pointless going back to my house," Tris said, more to herself than to him. She looked around the festive shop, admiring the shelves filled with holiday trinkets. Trees lined the outside, each decorated in a different way.

"How long have you been working here?" The question popped out of Tris' mouth before she could stop it. He probably didn't want to talk to her, but it was too late.

"This is my second season at this shop, but I've worked in a tree shop every Christmas since I was fourteen," Four replied nonchalantly as he continued to work.

"Wow, so you're very experienced," Tris remarked, bringing her wandering gaze back to his form that was hunched over the counter, currently examining a specific bulb up close.

Four shrugged, meeting her eyes for a split second before looking back down at his work, "You could say that, although there's not much to the job."

Tris hummed to acknowledge his statement. "I assume you're a big Christmas fan then?"

Four scoffed, "Quite the opposite, actually," He surprised himself when he didn't lie. Normally when customers asked questions that dipped even the tiniest bit into his personal life, he'd come up with a lie to make them stop, or he would ignore them. For some reason his defenses were all down around this girl, and he didn't think twice before saying the truth.

"What?" Tris exclaimed, shocked, "How can you not like Christmas?"

"It's a long story, one that I prefer not to tell," Four replied cryptically.

"You said I'll be here for," Tris checked her watch, "Another fifteen minutes now, at least. I have time."

Four paused and looked into her eyes for a few moments. She seemed sincere, that much he could gather, but her intentions were a mystery to him. People like the ones he'd known all his life didn't stop to ask about the person working at the tree shop. It was simple, and he had figured out that nobody cared.

Her cheeks flushed and Four realized he must have been staring, so he shook his head slightly and brought his attention back down to the lights. "It's not something I share with people I just met – or anyone, really."

Tris picked up an ornament to examine, "Okay. But this thing really made you hate Christmas? Don't you love a good holiday song, or the way Christmas trees smell when you put on the ornaments?" Tris pried, trying to get an answer out of him. She normally wasn't pushy at all, but she wanted to know about this handsome man.

"I'm practically immune to the pine smell, since I'm around it all day, but I never cared for it much when I was younger," Four replied, and something in his tone told Tris she wouldn't get more than that out of him.

She wandered around and explored the store until he told her he was done. She approached the counter quickly, and thanked him when she saw how all of the lights lit up well.

"If they do it again just come here with the receipt and we'll give you new ones, okay?" Four told her after she payed.

"I'll be sure to. Thank you again, Four," she scooped up the lights and put them in the box, turning towards the door. "And Merry Christmas!"

Four rolled his eyes, a little smirk twisting his lips, and reluctantly repeated her words, "Merry Christmas."

Tris put the box in the passenger seat and drove to her apartment. Christina met her at the door and took the box from her hands, exclaiming in happiness when the lights all worked. "Thanks for taking them, Tris." She brought them over to the tree and put them back around it. "Oh! Will told me exciting news, there's a Pedrad party tonight – and he got us in!"

Tris paused from making her tea, doing a double-take at Christina's excited face. Even though the oldest Pedrad, Zeke, had graduated, the younger one Uriah took on his legend of throwing the best parties. Not just anyone could go; you had to have a specific invitation. "Are you serious?"

Christina nodded vigorously, "I guess he has a class with Uriah and he managed to get us invited! I checked, you can come too."

Tris smiled widely, "That's great! What time is it?"

"Seven. Will's coming to pick us up, because he has the address. I'll help you get ready, okay? It's Christmas themed, so we'll wear red."

Tris frowned, "Why not green?"

Christina finished with the lights and passed Tris in the kitchen, putting a manicured hand on her shoulder. "Oh honey, green looks terrible on everyone. Red's the way to go," Christina started down the hall into her bedroom, "I'll lend you a dress!"

Tris sighed and resumed making her tea. She was honored to go to the party, of course, but parties weren't really her thing. She'd been to a few college parties, most of them in the beginning of her freshman year. After an out of control frat party, Tris realized that they weren't something she enjoyed and when Chris went out all through their second year, Tris stayed home and studied.

When her tea was finished, Tris plopped down on the couch and admired the Christmas tree. It smelled wonderful, and was filled with pretty ornaments. And the lights worked now. She turned on the TV, knowing she had time for at least one Christmas movie before Christina would insist on eating a light dinner before getting completely pampered.

Tris finished watching the movie, and thankfully she chose one that didn't make her cry. It was your typical romcom, and it was a little bit above average in the storyline but the acting was pretty bad, as usual.

Just as she had predicted, Christina came down the stairs and made them both little salads. Tris normally would have protested and gone for a burger instead, but she knew there would be food at the party.

After they finished eating, Christina whisked Tris into the bubble bath she had prepared. Tris took a long time in there, hoping to reduce the amount of time spent actually getting ready. Christina eventually banged on the door for Tris to come out, and after Tris put lotion on her legs, she did.

"So, I have 2 dresses you can wear," Christina said as she did Tris' nails. Normally Christina didn't go to this much trouble for parties, but this one was a big deal and it was rare for Tris to agree to go.

"Whichever one is less revealing," Tris said truthfully. Her dear friend Christina looked amazing in all those skimpy dresses – ergo her closet was stocked full of them – but Tris herself did not, and preferred to keep _some_ things to the imagination.

Christina rolled her eyes but let Tris take a simple cocktail dress. It was red silk and hugged her body at the top, and flared out at the waist, ending just below her knees.

Will came at exactly the right time, and once Christina finished curling her hair the girls headed out.

When they arrived, the outside of the house did not look like party was going on inside. But that was one of the wonders of a Pedrad party, Tris had heard. Will dropped them off and then went to find a parking space along the side of the road. Tris shivered in the cold night, crunching on snow towards the house. Tiny snowflakes slowly drifted down from the sky, and Tris smiled and caught one on her tongue.

As soon as the door was opened for them – after Christina showed them the invitation – warm air rushed out along with pounding Christmas music.

The girls stepped in and took off their coats, advancing further into the house. It was dark except for string lights hung everywhere, and it gave Christina's face an eerie glow. Tris looked inside in wonder. Most people were congregated in the large living room area, and almost everyone was dancing to a remix of the song Let it Snow.

Christina jumped right in, and Tris stood on the sidelines and watched before she became thirsty. She wandered into the kitchen, and was not finding anything that was alcohol free. She was about to give up when she heard a deep voice behind her, "They keep soda at the bottom of the cooler."

Tris turned around and saw a man leaning over, rummaging in an ice-filled cooler and emerging with a soda in his hands. She reached out and took it from him gratefully, and he shut the cooler lid and moved his head up to meet hers.

All of her breath left her body when she recognized him as Four from the tree shop. He looked surprised to see her, too, but he quickly recovered and flashed her a smile. This one seemed more genuine than the scripted ones he gave in the shop, so Tris returned it.

"I thought you hated Christmas," She said loudly, so he would hear her over the music. Tris popped open the soda and took a sip.

Four chuckled, "I do, but my friend Zeke basically forced me in to this. I stay in here because the music is quieter."

"Ah, that's right, you hate Christmas music," Tris shook her head and smiled more. "My friend sort of pushed me into this too, but I love holiday stuff."

"Why aren't you out there then?" Four jerked his head to the side, at the door leading out into the living room.

"Well first I wanted a drink, but I don't really do crowded parties," Tris took another sip of the soda. "Thanks for the soda, by the way."

Four shrugged, "Not a problem. They keep it there for me, but I figured I could share some."

A loud noise brought Tris' attention to the other door at the other end of the kitchen. A boy came crashing through, holding a beer in each hand. Another boy followed him, shaking his head and laughing hysterically.

"Is he really hammered _already_?" Four turned towards the two boys and laughed, and Tris could sense that he knew them well. He seemed more comfortable and less uptight.

The sober boy nodded, "Yeah, Uriah went and got himself drunk within the first minute. He's a lightweight, but still."

Tris realized that the two boys were the Pedrad brothers themselves, and she had the urge to flee. She was about to leave when she heard Zeke ask, "Who's this?"

Four cleared his throat, "Um, this is Tris."

Tris turned around awkwardly and gave a small smile. Zeke turned towards Four and quirked his eyebrows at him.

Four shook his head, "It's not like that."

Zeke smiled, "Yeah, whatever you say."

Tris flushed and made her exit when the boys turned their attention to Uriah again. She searched for Christina on the dance floor, and couldn't find her. Will was also nowhere to be seen. Tris found a chair in the corner and sat watching people dance until someone came up beside her and asked, "Want to get out of here?"


	3. Chapter 3

So many apologies that this took so long! The holiday season was more hectic for me than I imagined…and I foolishly hoped to get this story done before New Year. Well, I'm still in the holiday spirit (sort of) but I'll keep writing anyways!

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><p><em>Chapter 3<em>

_December 12_

Tris turned around quickly, eager to find the owner of the voice she didn't recognize. She came face to face with a strange boy, who looked to be much too intoxicated for his own good.

"Um, I'm good here, thanks," she stumbled over her words, a feeling of dread sinking in her stomach.

She felt a calloused hand on her arm, and she jerked away quickly and turned to face the boy again, her eyes smoldering. "I said I was good here. Please leave me alone," Tris said forcefully. She thought he would back off, but fear dripped in slowly as he stood completely still, staring her down.

Suddenly, he sneered, "And I told you that we're getting out of here. Now come on, princess – _oof!_" The boy was thrown backwards by someone Tris couldn't see, and there was scuffling on the floor and an isolated yell before her savior stood up victorious.

The creepy boy ran off, nursing a wounded hand, and Tris moved to thank the person who saved her. She tapped him on the shoulder, "Listen, thank you so much. I was getting a little worried there," she added a chuckle to sound nonchalant but really she was feeling very nauseous.

The man turned around and Tris fell silent when she found herself looking into the eyes of Four. "It was nothing," he told her, his words light but his face grim.

The music pounded behind them and the strobe lights started up again. Tris winced and backed away slightly from the loud noises, and Four looked at her with a concerned expression.

When he saw the guy cozying up to Tris, the first emotion that ran through him was jealousy. It was so selfish he half expected his father to come through the door and start beating him with his belt, like he had so many times in the past. Four stood and watched the guy talk to her, and it seemed innocent enough at first, after Tris brushed him off. His feeling of relief didn't last long, however, and when he became physical with her his selfishness took over and he beat the guy up.

Tris put a hand to her head, as if she had a headache, and said loudly over the music, "Thank you again. I'm going to go somewhere else, because I can't stand this music."

Four just nodded dumbly and watched her go – particularly her backside as she walked away. She disappeared into the crowd and he came to his senses and went after her. She was too vulnerable, too innocent – he could tell she wasn't experienced in the whole party thing – neither was he – but he had to protect her. He had a strong urge to not let her out of his sight.

Her blond hair was his only clue to where she was, as her height was a big impediment to her ability to be spotted in large crowds. Four caught sight of her again when she quickly went up the staircase, and he swiftly followed. Tris managed to find a room that wasn't being used for drunken sex, and she sat down on the couch and leaned back, finally relaxed.

Four entered the room quietly, and Tris jumped out of her seat when she saw him come in; she was still feeling anxious after her close encounter with that guy. He put his hands up, "I needed to get away, too. Do you mind if I join you?"

Tris sat back down and shook her head, "That would be nice, actually, I'd prefer not to be alone, after-" she cut herself off.

Four could guess what she was going to say, but he didn't pry it out of her. He ignored it, because he knew the feeling all too well. He sat on the couch opposite the one she was currently seated on, and examined the room. It seemed to be some sort of lounge, with a large television on the wall and leather chairs and couches filling up the space.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, before Tris looked up from her lap. "So, are you good friends with Zeke?"

Four was surprised at her question, and he struggled not to put himself in a bottle, like he normally did. Something about her told him to just open up and let go, and so the answer flowed right out of his mouth, "Yeah, we've been friends for a while. Like I said, I normally don't go to parties but this one is important to him, I guess." He manages to hold on to some control, and doesn't add _I wasn't going to stay for a while but then I saw you and I couldn't leave._

"This is my first big 'Pedrad party,'" Tris said with a chuckle, "And although I love Christmas I'm not too fond of the whole party atmosphere."

Four let the conversation lapse into silence for a little while more, before he asked a question out of the blue, "Did you have good Christmases growing up?" He had always been curious about what Christmas was supposed to be, but he had never really asked anyone out of embarrassment.

Her eyes lit up and she sat up straighter, "Oh, yes! We would all decorate the tree together, my parents and my brother and me, and we would bake cookies and sing by the fireplace. On Christmas Eve, we would read countless holiday stories before going to bed giddy with joy. On the next day we would all open our gifts together, and it was just so wonderful," Tris smiles, "We didn't really have that many gifts, but I didn't care because I was surrounded by such wonderful people."

"Do you still do that with them?" Four asked, suddenly intrigued about normal childhood customs that weren't tainted by incompetant sons or angry fathers.

Tris looked down, suddenly sad, "No. My parents live too far away and my brother's off in a prestigious college. But I celebrate with my roomate Christina."

"Well, I never really celebrated a Christmas like yours," Four started slowly. "We never had a tree, or any decorations. Just a few presents on Christmas day. And that all stopped when…my mother died when I was nine. After that we never did anything to celebrate at all, really."

Tris looked up, training her eyes on Four, who was looking at the ground. "I'm so sorry, Four," she said softly.

He shook his head, "I don't need you to be." He had only revealed part of his inner self to her, he didn't know why he did it but strangely it felt good to have someone know. Zeke knew about his father, but only a general sense of what happened.

"But I am," Tris persisted, "Nobody should have to go through that."

Four gained the courage to look up and found her looking intently at him from her position on the couch opposite him. "I don't want pity," he mumbled.

"I'm not pitying you," Tris said defiantly. "But I am going to help you."

Four looked up at her quizzically, intrigued by her words. Something about her drew him in. Maybe it was her raw defiance, or the way she exuded life by sitting quietly beside him.

Tris continued, "You are going to have a real Christmas this year."

Four shook his head vigorously, "I can't."

"Why not? Do you have any plans on the 24th or the 25th?" Tris had an inkling that he didn't.

"Well, no," Four relented, "But-"

"No buts! If you have nothing to do, then you will be spending Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day with Christina and I, plus a few friends." Tris didn't know why she was suggesting this, the whole thing sounded ridiculous, but she honestly wanted Four to experience the holidays the right way. And she wanted to be around him more, but that was a mere bonus.

Four studied her face carefully, and he found no clues that would point to any ulterior motives she may have. He found it hard to believe that someone would care enough about him to do something like that, even though it wasn't that big of a deal nobody had ever cared before. He sighed, before ultimately agreeing, "Okay, if you really want to."

"I will be happy to," Tris smiled. "So you can come over in the evening on the 24th, and spend some of the day on the 25th, it doesn't matter when. You _promise_ you'll do it?"

One side of Four's lip curled upwards, "I promise."

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><p>Tris gingerly stepped down the stairs and found herself in the crowd again. The party was in full swing, and the music was louder than ever. She managed to find Christina basically grinding against Will, and pulled her to the side to talk quickly.<p>

"Chris, do you have a rough idea of when you'll want to leave?" Tris asked, as Will was her ride and her only way home. She could potentially walk, but it was cold and also it was obivous her friend was a little bit drunk, if not more, and Tris didn't feel safe leaving her alone here.

"Never! This party _rocks_!" Christina put her drink high in the air before taking another big sip.

Tris rolled her eyes and kept her grip on Christina's wrist, "I understand that, but remember I have to take you home? I'm not having much fun."

Will appeared behind Christina, putting a protective hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about her, Tris, I'm not going to drink any more, I swear. I'm fine. If you can find a ride you can go, but if you can't I'll make sure we go home in an hour," Will said.

Tris bit her lip before nodding, he didn't appear to be too drunk. "Okay, I'm going to go look for a ride." Tris made her way back into the kitchen, finding some water and drinking it slowly. She didn't know anyone here except for Four, if you could count him. She decided to go and find him on the off chance he could give her a ride.

Tris found him still in the room upstairs, and he looked up when she walked in. "Hey, my friends aren't leaving for a while and I really need to get back home, could you give me a ride?"

Four was suddenly glad that he drove here instead of walking, and stood up nodding. "Of course. You can go wait out front and I'll pull up."

"Thank you," Tris said as they walked down the hallway. Four just shrugged and they parted ways. Tris pushed her way through the dancing crowd and found the front door, grabbed her coat, and stepped out into the cold. She shivered and tightened her coat around her body.

Four pulled up a minute later, and Tris hurried to his pickup truck. She climbed in the passenger seat with a little trouble – it was high off the ground, for her – and relished in the heat of the car.

"I live on the corner of Chesnut and Holly," Tris told Four once they started moving. He nodded and started toward her apartment. They drove in silence, both of them not knowing what to say. It was a short drive, and when they pulled up at her stop Tris thanked him again and was getting out when Four gently grabbed her arm.

"Can I have your number?" He asked abruptly.

Tris opened her mouth and shut it promptly, "Um, yeah." He handed her his phone and she put herself in the contacts with shaking hands, either from the cold or his presence she couldn't tell.


End file.
